These administrative costs, which do not involve any net charge on public funds, are estimated at £21,000 during the current financial year. In Germany about half of the artists employed are British. Elsewhere, they are all British.

Can my hon. Friend say why in Germany only 50 per cent. of the artists are British? Is he aware that there is some dissatisfaction in the profession that there is a small proportion of British artists employed in Germany?

Yes, but there seems to be far more satisfaction among the audiences, who prefer that there should be a mixture of British and German shows. It must also be remembered that it is somewhat cheaper, and therefore possible to put on a greater number of shows, if some German artists are employed.